New Species of Borrelia Discovered: Borrelia Mayonii

Mayo scientists have found another species of Borrelia that can cause Lyme disease. It is called Borrelia mayonii.

Mayo Clinic researchers, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and health officials from Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin, announce that they have discovered a new bacterial species that causes Lyme disease in people. The new species has been provisionally named Borrelia mayonii.

They are saying it can be detected with the same tests that currently test for Lyme, but suggest using a PCR to tell the difference between burgdorferi and mayonii. With those tests being so inaccurate that makes a lot of people nervous. Borreila mayonii is said to cause some of the same symptoms as Lyme disease does only with multiple rashes, instead of a singular Bull’s Eye rash that you sometimes see with Lyme disease. It will also cause nausea and vomiting and yields a high amount of bacteria in the blood. It is a serious infection, as Dr. Bobbi Pritt, from Mayo Clinic points out that 2 of the 6 people infected, have been hospitalized.

So far the patients have all been from Minnesota and Wisconsin. They admit they have found it also in the Northeast but just not in humans yet.

Mayo clinic is recommending the same treatment they recommend for Lyme disease. Again, just like the inaccurate testing they are recommending, is not a fail proof plan as current treatments for Lyme disease also fail and leave over 36% of the people still sick.